The Medical Center of Aurora has joined the Workplace Partnership for Life (WPFL) Hospital Campaign with Donor Alliance, the federally-designated, non-profit organ procurement organization and American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited tissue bank serving Colorado and Wyoming. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, the Workplace Partnership for Life campaign brings together organ and tissue donation organizations and businesses and organizations throughout the nation to educate employees and their communities on the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.

The need is real. Each day, 79 Americans receive lifesaving organ transplants and thousands more benefit from cornea and tissue transplants. These extraordinary gifts have been generously donated by ordinary people of all ages and backgrounds who took just a few minutes in a busy day to indicate their decisions to become organ and tissue donors. But broader awareness of the need for organ, eye and tissue donation is crucial. There are more than 114,000 people awaiting an organ transplant in the United States and each week, more than 100 people on the national transplant waiting list die because no organ is available.

Some additional facts about organ, eye and tissue donation:

A single organ donor can save and heal more than 100 lives through organ, eye and tissue donation

Organ transplants have been successfully saving lives for more than 50 years

Cornea transplants have been successfully restoring sight for more than 100 years

Donated tissues such as skin, bone and heart valves can dramatically improve the quality of life for recipients, and even save lives